Toy Vehicle Control Mechanism for Performing Stunts

ABSTRACT

A toy vehicle control mechanism for performing stunts includes a rod permitting a user to selectively manipulate a toy vehicle. The rod includes a rod-tip and a shaft, and a connection piece is secured to a toy vehicle as an interface for the rod-tip. The rod-tip is formed to include an opening having a shape and a size so that the connection piece can travel around within the opening and a notch at a tip edge of the rod-tip such that the toy vehicle can be manipulated by selectively engaging the notch with various portions of the connection piece, the notch having a shape and a size permitting a selected portion of the connection piece to enter into the notch without the selected portion of the connection piece penetrating into the opening.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application relates to, and claims the priority to the filing dateof, U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 62/842,769 entitledMINIATURE TOY VEHICLE CONTROL MECHANISM FOR PERFORMING STUNTS, filed May3, 2019, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein byreference for all purposes.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Many children and adults enjoy playing with toy vehicles. Most toyvehicles are relatively inexpensive and built to be manually controlledthrough pushing and/or pulling, by hand or at the end of a string or astick with minimal control or direction. The manually-controlled toyvehicles on the market today have limited play value because theirinability to simulate realistic stunts often performed by full-scalevehicles. Consequently, the users of these vehicles often lose interestwith them after a short period of time.

Radio-controlled toy vehicles provide better control and are capable ofperforming realistic stunts. However, radio-controlled toy vehicles areexpensive and difficult for some users; especially when attemptingstunts. Also, radio-controlled toy vehicles easily break when they arecrashed. This often results in the radio-controlled toy vehicle beingthrown away or needing costly repairs. Thus, radio-controlled toyvehicles also have a limited play value.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a control mechanism to enhance the playvalue of a toy vehicle by improving its maneuverability and realism. Thecontrol mechanism will provide the user a means to manually propel andsteer the toy vehicle without the need for a user's hand or otherappendage to be physically on the vehicle. The control mechanism willalso provide the user the ability to easily perform flips, aerialmaneuvers, and other stunts often displayed by full-scale vehicles; alsowithout the need for a user's hand or other appendage to be physicallyon the vehicle. Additionally, it is foreseen that this invention mayalso be beneficial to:

-   -   Adults and children who find it difficult to operate or are        unable to operate toy vehicles or other types of toys due to an        undesirable play area and/or the user's physical limitations.    -   Drivers, athletes or other performers who use the control        mechanism to practice stunts that may cross over into their        sport or field of performance.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side view of a toy vehicle control mechanism coupled to atoy vehicle. It illustrates an end portion of a rod secured to aconnection piece and a toy vehicle. The large rectangle represents a toyvehicle as shown in FIG. 4.

FIG. 2 is an end view of a toy vehicle control mechanism coupled to atoy vehicle. It illustrates an end portion of a rod secured to aconnection piece and a toy vehicle. The large rectangle represents a toyvehicle as shown in FIG. 4.

FIG. 3 illustrates some exemplary embodiments for connection pieceshapes.

FIG. 4 illustrates examples of what could be a toy vehicle. The largerectangle represents a toy vehicle; more specifically it's a side viewperspective of a toy vehicle as specified in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6.

FIG. 5 illustrates the three axes of rotation on a toy vehicle. Thethree-dimensional rectangle represents the toy vehicle. The threeimaginary axes are referred to herein as longitudinal L1, lateral L2 andvertical V. The axis intersection points will vary depending on the toyvehicle's characteristics and the control mechanism's position andusage. Motion around the longitudinal axis, the lateral axis and thevertical axis are referred to as roll R, pitch P and yaw Y,respectively. Additionally, the toy vehicle's perspectives are labeledas A for end view, B for side view, and C for top view.

FIG. 6 illustrates the different sized rectangles to indicate a toyvehicle's end view A, side view B, or top view C of a toy vehicle.

FIG. 7 illustrates an end view of the rod's interface with theconnection piece when the rod is parallel or longitudinal with a toyvehicle.

FIG. 8 illustrates the top view of the rod's interface with theconnection piece when the rod is parallel or longitudinal with a toyvehicle.

FIG. 9 illustrates a side view of the rod's interface with theconnection piece when the rod is parallel or longitudinal with a toyvehicle.

FIG. 10 illustrates an end view of the rod's interface with theconnection piece when the rod is perpendicular or lateral with a toyvehicle.

FIG. 11 illustrates the top view of the rod's interface with theconnection piece when the rod is perpendicular or lateral with a toyvehicle.

FIG. 12 illustrates a side view of the rod's interface with theconnection piece when the rod is perpendicular or lateral with a toyvehicle.

FIG. 13 illustrates the rod-tip of a rod and a portion of its shaft.

FIG. 14 illustrates further details of the rod-tip.

FIG. 15 illustrates an embodiment of a rod-tip with additional notchesand openings to provide varied control abilities of a toy vehicle.

FIG. 16 illustrates an embodiment of a rod-tip that is partially openedthat may allow for quick securement to the connection piece.

FIG. 17 illustrates an end view of the rod disengaged from theconnection piece.

FIG. 18 illustrates the top view of the rod disengaged from theconnection piece.

FIG. 19 illustrates an end view of the rod engaged to the connectionpiece.

FIG. 20 illustrates the top view of the rod engaged to the connectionpiece.

FIG. 21 illustrates a side view of the rod freely moving longitudinally(forward or backward) around the connection piece.

FIG. 22 illustrates an end view of a rod freely moving laterally (sideto side) around the connection piece.

FIG. 23 shows an end view of a toy vehicle and illustrates themanipulation of a toy vehicle can be accomplished from varying angleswith the rod's engagement to the connection piece.

FIG. 24 illustrates an end view of a toy vehicle and the rod beingtwisted while engaged to the connection piece.

FIG. 25 illustrates a side view of a propelled toy vehicle being flippedwhile the rod is engaged to the connection piece and the rod is beingtwisted.

FIG. 26 illustrates an end view of a toy vehicle and the rod travellingalong the parallel plane of the connection piece.

FIG. 27 illustrates the top view of a toy vehicle and the rod not ableto move perpendicular to the connection piece due to the rod-tip'sengagement to the connection piece.

FIG. 28 illustrates an end view of a toy vehicle with the rod at anangle and uncoupled or disengaged with the connection piece.

FIG. 29 illustrates the top view of a toy vehicle and the rod freelymoving perpendicular to the connection piece as the rod is not engagedwith the connection piece.

FIG. 30 illustrates a side view of a toy vehicle rolling about itslongitudinal axis as the rod is being twisted.

FIG. 31 illustrates an end view of a toy vehicle pitching about itslateral axis as the rod is being twisted.

FIG. 32 illustrates a side view of a toy vehicle yawing about itsvertical axis as the rod is being twisted.

FIG. 33 illustrates a side view of a toy vehicle rolling about itslongitudinal axis while being lifted or suspended in the air as the rodis being twisted.

FIG. 34 illustrates an end view of a toy vehicle pitching about itslateral axis while being lifted or suspended in the air as the rod isbeing twisted from an angle.

FIG. 35 illustrates an end view of a toy vehicle yawing about itsvertical axis while being lifted or suspended in the air as the rod isbeing twisted.

FIG. 36 illustrates a side view of a toy vehicle pitching downwardsabout its lateral axis with the rod in a longitudinal position relativeto the vehicle.

FIG. 37 illustrates a side view of a toy vehicle pitching upwards aboutits lateral axis with the rod in a longitudinal position relative to thevehicle.

FIG. 38 illustrates a side view of a toy vehicle and the utilization ofa supplemental device tethered to one end of the toy vehicle.

FIG. 39 illustrates a rod combined with computer circuitry is asmart-rod. The smart-rod is the rod shaded in black.

FIG. 40 shows users controlling vehicles with smart-rods, andillustrates that a smart-rod and other devices with wireless short-rangeinterconnection technology could incorporate effects to enhance the playsituation and the user's experience.

FIG. 41 illustrates an example of a smart-rod with sensors that may beused to generate vehicle sounds or other special effects.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a control mechanism or combination of thosecontrol mechanisms for a toy vehicle that allows the user to not onlypropel and steer the toy vehicle, but also perform stunts with the toyvehicle, such as: flips, twists, and rolls. However, a stunt could beany movement, maneuver or trick performed by a user of a vehicle. Toyvehicles are small-scale mobile devices meant to simulate the looksand/or operation of full-scale vehicles that were designed to operateeither on land, in water, in air, or in outer space, or any combinationthereof. A vehicle could also mean other human conveyances that aretypically ridden on, including skateboards, snowboards, snow skis, andsurfboards. Additionally, it is foreseeable that this control mechanismcould be used on other types of toys. FIG. 4 shows examples of whatcould be a toy vehicle. In this description of the invention, the largerectangles illustrated in the drawings, and resembling the rectangles inFIG. 6, shall represent a toy vehicle. Furthermore, FIG. 5 illustrates atoy vehicle's longitudinal axis L1, lateral axis L2, and vertical axisV. A toy vehicle may include associated accessories, including a toyfigure, that a control mechanism may be attached to. In this descriptionof the invention, the term “including” means “including but not limitedto”. Additionally, a toy vehicle may be referred as a vehicle or a toy.

Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, shows an embodiment of a toy vehiclecontrol mechanism for performing stunts. In this embodiment, a rod 1 issecured to a connection piece 2, and the connection piece 2 is connectedto a toy vehicle. The shapes of the rod 1 and the connection piece 2 inthe drawings are generalized with the predominate use of right angles.Angles may be rounded to adjust performance and looks. The connectionpiece 2 is the interface between the toy vehicle and the rod 1.

Referring to FIG. 7 through FIG. 12, the rod 1 can maneuver the vehicleabout all imaginary axes, as shown in FIG. 5, from a longitudinal to alateral position of the toy vehicle. Note that the tip of the rod 1 canselectively serve as a pivot point in various manners for suchmaneuvers, as will be clear in reference to various figures herein.

The rod 1 may be flattened, rounded, or angular. The rod's 1 material,length and thickness could vary depending on the toy vehicle'scharacteristics, its operating conditions, and user/manufacturepreferences. The rod 1 could have varying degrees of flexibility orstiffness depending on the toy vehicle's characteristics, its operatingconditions, and user/manufacture preferences. The rod 1 could be moldedas one piece or the rod 1 could be telescopic or assembled in pieces toadjust the rod's 1 length preferred by the user or to accommodatemanufacturing process and packaging. For example, if the rod 1 is anassembly of pieces, then different rod-tips 3 can be selectivelyincorporated into the rod 1. The rod 1 could have one or more grips orhandles for better control of the toy vehicle. The rod 1 could betranslucent or opaque. The rod 1 could be painted or colored, moldedwith designs or texture, or further customized for visual appearance.The rod 1 could incorporate lighting effects, sound effects, and/orother effects the user can feel through touch; such as vibrations. Therod's shaft 4 and rod-tip 3 could be customized with the addition orupgrade of attachments for increased performance control or visualpreference. The rod 1 may have quick-disconnect capability for easyconnection and removal from the connection piece 4.

The rod 1 has a rod-tip 3 and a shaft 4 as illustrated in FIG. 13. Therod tip 3 incorporates a keeper 5, a saddle 6, and a catch 7 asillustrated in FIG. 14. The keeper 5 is an opening within the rod-tip 3that secures to the connection piece 2. The catch 7 is a notch at theedge of rod-tip 3. The saddle 6 is a section of the rod-tip 3 in betweenthe keeper 5 and the catch 7.

The rod-tip 3 may be completely molded as one piece from the samematerial or molded and assembled from a combination of pieces.Additional notches or openings, as illustrated in FIG. 15, may bedesigned into the rod-tip 3 to provide varied control abilities of a toyvehicle. An opening may be fully enclosed by the rod for partiallyopened, as illustrated in FIG. 16, for an option of quick securement toa connection piece 2.

The connection piece 2 can be of any shape that allows for freedom ofmovement through the keeper 5 while maintaining the capability ofpositive engagement of the catch 7 to the connection piece 2. Engagementand disengagement with the connection piece 2, is illustrated in FIG. 17through FIG. 20.

Exemplary embodiments for connection piece 2 shapes include, forexample, elliptical or rectangular shaped loops, eyes, or staples, asillustrated in FIG. 3.

When coupled to the connection piece 2, the rod 1 may be manipulated bythe user to selectively perform a plurality of vehicle maneuvers. Forthe rod to maneuver both parallel and perpendicular to the vehicle'slongitudinal axis, as illustrated in FIG. 21 and FIG. 22, the dimensionsof the keeper 5, saddle 6, and catch 7 should be determined from thedimensions of the connection piece 2, or the dimensions of theconnection piece 2 could be determined from the dimensions of the keeper5, saddle 6, and catch 7.

Additionally, the keeper 5, saddle 6, catch 7, and connection piece 2should be appropriately sized to allow for the rod-tip 3 to engage withthe connection piece 2 and twist from various angles of the rod 1, asillustrated in FIG. 23, while also allowing for the toy vehicle to pitchor rotate about the vehicle's lateral axis, as illustrated in FIG. 24and FIG. 25.

Both the keeper 5 and catch 7 should be wide enough for the connectionpiece 2 to freely travel within them, as shown in FIG. 19, FIG. 20, andFIG. 22.

The keeper 5 should be elongated to allow for the connection piece 2 toenter or engage as well as exit or disengage with the catch 7, as shownin FIG. 17 through FIG. 20, while still allowing for the rod-tip 3 totravel along the parallel plane of the connection piece 2, as shown inFIG. 26, without moving perpendicular to the connection piece 2, asshown in FIG. 27, until the connection piece 2 has exited the catch 7,as shown in FIG. 28 and FIG. 29.

An oversized or undersized keeper 5 and/or catch 7 will result in a lossor reduction of control with the toy vehicle.

The connection piece 2 comprises of one or more mounting points to thetoy vehicle and/or associated accessories. The connection piece 2 may beattached to the toy vehicle and/or associated accessories through aplurality of means desired by the manufacturer. The connection piece 2may have quick-disconnect capability for easy removal from the toyvehicle. For example, the connection piece 2 can be formed from aspring-loaded material and shaped such that compressing the two ends ofthe connection piece 2 permits the connection piece to be locked into orunlocked from an appropriately-shaped cavity formed in the toy vehicle.The connection piece's 2 material, size, and texture could varydepending on the rod 1 and vehicle's size and characteristics, itsoperating conditions, and user/manufacture preferences. An exemplarypreferred embodiment includes the use of raised ridges along the surfaceof the connection piece 2. A textured surface of the connection piece 2can assist the rod-tip 3 in grasping the connection piece 2.

With the control mechanism coupled to a toy vehicle, stunts and othermaneuvers may be simulated by propelling the vehicle in a desireddirection by pushing, pulling, or twisting the rod 1. This controlmechanism allows a user to rotate a toy vehicle about an axis, as shownin FIG. 5, and also hold the vehicle at a fixed position on that axis ifdesired.

Twisting the rod 1 exerts axial forces onto the connection piece 2 byway of the inner surfaces of the catch 7 and/or keeper 5, making contactwith the surfaces of the connection piece 2, and, depending on theposition of the rod 1 in relation to the connection piece 2, will causethe vehicle to yaw, pitch, and/or roll.

For example, to make the vehicle roll, the rod 1 could be twisted aboutthe longitudinal axis of the toy vehicle, as shown in FIG. 30. To makethe vehicle pitch, the rod 1 could be twisted about the lateral axis ofthe toy vehicle, as shown in FIG. 31. To make the vehicle yaw, the rod 1could be twisted about the vertical axis of the toy vehicle, as shown inFIG. 32. Additionally, a toy vehicle could also perform aerial maneuversby twisting the rod 1 about an axis while being lifted or suspended inthe air, as shown in FIG. 33 through 35.

Referring to FIG. 36 and FIG. 37, one or more pivot devices 8 may beadded to a toy vehicle or associated accessories for the catch 7 toengage with, for additional performance. Pushing or pulling the rod 1 inthis configuration will exert axial forces onto the pivot device 8 andconnection piece 2 by way of the inner surfaces of the catch 7 andkeeper 5 contacting the surfaces of the pivot device 8 and connectionpiece 2. In this exemplary embodiment, the rod-tip 3 is engaged with apivot device 8 on the toy vehicle, allowing for a user to move the toyvehicle about the lateral axis and make the vehicle pitch up or down bypushing or pulling the rod 1 with the rod 1 in a longitudinal positionrelative to the vehicle.

To complement the toy vehicle control mechanism and to further improvethe performance of a toy vehicle, one or more supplemental devices 9,including, for example, lines, strings, sticks, poles, or wands, may betethered to one or more desired locations on the vehicle, as shown inFIG. 38. The supplemental tethered device(s) 9 may act as a stabilizerfor greater control when performing maneuvers with the toy vehicle.

In an exemplary embodiment, the rod 1 can incorporate one or moreelectronic circuits 10, including, for example, computer circuitry, tobecome a smart-rod 11, as shown in FIG. 39. The smart-rod 11 may, forexample, include one or more microchips that would be capable oftransmitting and/or receiving information wirelessly using wirelessshort-range interconnection technology, as shown in FIG. 40. Thesmart-rod 11 could also have the capability to transmit and/or receiveinformation through a wired connection. The smart-rod 11 could include afeature where the user can manipulate a sensor or multiple sensors(incorporated with the smart-rod 11), as shown in FIG. 41, to generatevehicle sounds or other effects, as shown in FIG. 40. A sensor couldalso be manipulated to activate various functions or capabilities of thetoy vehicle, if the toy vehicle has been provided with built-in modulespermitting such functions or capabilities to be electronicallycontrolled. The smart-rod 11 along with a toy vehicle could alsoincorporate various movement-type sensors to detect motion and/orposition of the smart-rod 11 and/or vehicle. Such capability might beuseful, for example, to permit a user's motions of the smart-rod 11 orthe vehicle to be sensed and transmitted to an associated device, suchas a computer or smart phone, for analysis of the user's performance inexecuting maneuvers or tricks. Additional computer circuitry and sensorsmay be added to smart-rods 11 and/or toy vehicles to expand theirfunctionality.

For example, using wireless short-range interconnection technology, asshown in FIG. 40, a network could be established between the smart-rod11 and the user's smartphone, smartwatch, and/or earphones to enhancethe user's experience by incorporating various possible effects. Theseeffects could include, but are not limited to: sound effects, visualeffects, music, and/or other effects such as vibrations. These effectscould emanate from smart-rods 11, toy vehicles, and other smart devices.These effects could correspond from various inputs from a user'smanipulation of a smart-rod 11 sensor or from the motion or position ofthe smart-rod 11, toy vehicles, or other devices in the play situation.Using wireless short-range interconnection technology, the toy vehiclesor any other device that may accompany the play situation could alsoinclude microchips and/or other computer circuitry that would form anetwork to transmit and/or receive information between the smart-rods 11and/or other devices in the play situation. Devices including cellphones, smartphones, and computers may also accompany the network in theplay situation. To complement the applied short-range interconnectiontechnology, any mobile smart device including, for example,smartphones/tablets, smartwatches, or smart-glasses may incorporate asoftware application designed to interact with the user, the rod 1 orsmart-rod 11, the toy vehicle, and/or other devices that may accompanythe play situation. It is noted that wireless short-rangeinterconnection technology relates to wireless communication between twoor more electronic devices. Additionally, a smart device can include anelectronic device, generally connected to other devices or networks viadifferent wireless protocols that can operate to some extentinteractively and autonomously.

That which is claimed is:
 1. A toy vehicle control mechanism for performing stunts, the control mechanism comprising: a rod permitting a user to selectively manipulate a toy vehicle, the rod comprising a rod-tip and a shaft; and a connection piece secured to a toy vehicle as an interface for the rod-tip, wherein the rod-tip is formed to include: an opening having a shape and a size so that the connection piece can travel around within the opening, and a notch at a tip edge of the rod-tip such that the toy vehicle can be manipulated by selectively engaging the notch with various portions of the connection piece, the notch having a shape and a size permitting a selected portion of the connection piece to enter into the notch without the selected portion of the connection piece penetrating into the opening.
 2. The toy vehicle control mechanism of claim 1, wherein the opening is elongated to allow for both: selected portions of the connection piece to enter into the notch, and allowing a travel of the rod-tip along a parallel plane of the connection piece while not moving in a perpendicular plane of the connection piece until the connection piece has exited the notch.
 3. The toy vehicle control mechanism of claim 1, wherein the connection piece is shaped as an elliptical-shaped or rectangular-shaped loop, eye, or staple affixed to the toy vehicle.
 4. A toy vehicle control mechanism of claim 1, wherein the rod-tip has a capability to be selectively connected and disconnected from the connection piece.
 5. A toy vehicle control mechanism of claim 1, wherein the connection piece has a capability to be selectively connected and disconnected from a toy vehicle.
 6. A toy vehicle control mechanism of claim 1, wherein the rod is telescopic to selectively permit an adjustment of a length of the rod.
 7. A toy vehicle control mechanism of claim 1, wherein the rod comprises an assembly of pieces.
 8. A toy vehicle control mechanism of claim 1, wherein the rod is molded from one piece.
 9. A toy vehicle control mechanism of claim 1, wherein the rod-shaft comprises one or more grips or handles.
 10. A toy vehicle control mechanism of claim 1, wherein the rod incorporates one or more microchips.
 11. A toy vehicle control mechanism of claim 10, wherein the rod thereby incorporates special effects including any of sound effects, visual effects, music, and vibrations.
 12. A toy vehicle control mechanism of claim 10, wherein the rod is capable of transmitting and/or receiving information wirelessly.
 13. A toy vehicle control mechanism of claim 10, wherein the rod is capable of transmitting and/or receiving information through a wired connection.
 14. A toy vehicle control mechanism of claim 10, wherein the rod incorporates one or more sensors that can be manipulated by the user to generate special effects and/or activate various functions or capabilities of the toy vehicle and/or the rod.
 15. A toy vehicle control mechanism of claim 10, wherein the rod incorporates one or more sensors that can detect motion and/or position, to selectively generate special effects and/or activate various functions or capabilities of the toy vehicle and/or the rod.
 16. A toy vehicle control mechanism of claim 1, wherein the control piece has a textured surface.
 17. A toy vehicle configured to accommodate the toy vehicle control mechanism of claim
 1. 18. A rod configured to implement the toy vehicle control mechanism of claim
 1. 19. A method for controlling a toy, the method comprising selectively rotating the toy about an axis of rotation of the toy, using a rod comprising a tip that engages with a connection piece on the toy such that the tip provides a pivot point when selectively engaged with a portion of the connection piece on the toy.
 20. A toy control mechanism comprising: a rod permitting a user to selectively manipulate a toy, the rod comprising a rod-tip and a shaft; and a connection piece secured to a toy as an interface for the rod-tip, wherein the rod-tip is formed to permit the user to selectively engage the connection piece in a manner that permits the toy to be pivoted around an axis of rotation of the toy. 